Big Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Pork

Pork is a prized protein for different reasons. It comes in a variety of different forms, with nearly endless ways to prepare all those different cuts of meat. Think roasted tenderloins, grilled chops, slow-braised pulled pork, smoked ribs, glazed ham, crispy bacon, and the list goes on. Are you hungry yet? We thought so. That's why pork is such an easy crowd-pleaser, to the point where you'll often find it the star of holiday tables and summer cookouts, as well as on your weekly shopping list.

Of course, all those culinary possibilities also mean a lot of room for error when cooking with pork. From the cut you choose, to the way you season it, to the temperature you're cooking it at, there are right and wrong ways to prepare good pork. And if you're gonna do it, might as well go whole hog, as they say, right? So make sure to avoid these common mistakes when cooking with pork and you'll wind up with a juicy, flavorful piece of meat every time.

No matter what type of protein you're cooking with, seasoning the meat is pretty much a rule of thumb across the board. Pork is no different. Seasoning your pork thoroughly will not only mean maximum flavor in every bite, but can help create a crisp, delightful texture on the outside when cooked over high heat. At the very least, don't skimp on the salt and pepper, no matter what type of pork you're working with. 

That's especially true when you're cooking leaner cuts of pork, like loin chops and tenderloin. They can be tasteless if under seasoned, as Kitchn reports, so really go ham on the salt and pepper (pun intended) before you start the cooking process. When the seasonings mix with the rendered fat and seared meat during the cooking process, the results are delectable. 

There are other ways of imparting great seasoning into your pork, too. Spice rubs are always a good idea, if you ask us, bringing in even more flavor than the admittedly simple salt and pepper duo. Especially if you're going for barbecue ribs or a whole pork roast, be generous with a rub that's full of spices and aromatics to create deep flavors. You may also want to consider soaking your cut of pork in a salty brine before cooking to impart extra flavor. And don't forget the power of marinades.

While it's important that raw pork — or any kind of meat for that matter — not be left out of the fridge for too long, it's also not a good idea to throw cold pork straight onto your hot pan or grill. As Southern Living explains, that's because the exterior will finish cooking before the inside is done. This could result in either an unappetizing and identifiably undercooked piece of pork or one that's way too charred on the outside while the interior is just barely done.

The key is to strike a balance. According to Bon Appétit, it's best to let your meat sit out to temper — which means to come to room temperature —even if only for a little while. Tempering can actually help the meat stay juicier, while also allowing it to cook more evenly. And it doesn't have to sit out for long. Even just the time it takes for you to chop up some veggies will make a difference.

We're all about cooking pork low and slow. Whether in the slow cooker or roasted in the oven, that longer cook time and lower temperature makes for fall-apart, perfectly tender pork loins, shoulder roasts, pork butts, and more. But there's a key step you must not forget to master the flavor of slow-cooked pork — browning, or searing, the surface of your meat before fully cooking it.

As Taste of Home explains, searing a pork roast before cooking is said to make it more flavorful, mostly via caramelization as any sugar in the meat or add-ins begins to cook down. On top of that, Dallas Morning News says that browning your pork roast will create a crisp crust on the outside, adding an enjoyable textural element along with amped-up flavor. 

The exposure to sudden high heat creates what's known as the Maillard reaction, which allows fat that's naturally found in meat to render and turn brown on the surface, creating more flavor as well as texture. The Maillard reaction, by the way, is mainly focused on high-protein foods with plenty of amino acids. Caramelization, its close cousin, is a similar process that refers to the reforming of sugars during the cooking process (via Cook's Illustrated).

This next tip seems rather obvious to even newbie books, but the consequences can be severe, so we'll take this opportunity to get everyone on the same page. Simply put, do not undercook your pork chops. This mistake can lead to a higher risk for dangerous food-borne illnesses. According to Healthline, raw or undercooked pork can potentially carry bacteria and parasites, including trichinosis and tapeworms, which can lead to infections, weight loss, and a host of other highly unpleasant symptoms.

To avoid this risk, the National Pork Board, along with the USDA, says that pork should always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The safest and easiest way to guarantee your pork has reached a safe temperature for consumption is to use a digital meat thermometer. 

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service — which has a full guide to meat thermometers — says to insert the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the cut of meat, avoiding the bone, to get an accurate temperature reading on your pork. This takes only an extra minute or two and can save you a lot of grief post-meal, so be sure to get a meat thermometer to avoid one of the biggest pork cooking mistakes out there.

Look we get it. You go through all the work to pick out and prepare a juicy cut of pork, rub it down with delicious seasoning, and then cook it up to sizzling, seared perfection. Now you're ready to dig in and reap the rewards immediately. Well hold on there — all your time and effort will be for nothing if you skip the absolutely crucial post-cooking step when it comes to your pork (or any meat really). We're talking about resting.

As Serious Eats explains, when meat is heated, the muscle fibers tighten and all the juices collect in the center. If you cut into it right away, those juices will spill right out onto your cutting board. However, when meat is removed from heat and allowed to rest, the muscles relax as everything cools down, and the juices redistribute throughout the meat. The amount of time your meat needs to rest depends on how big it is, but you want to leave it until the inside of the meat cools down to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

The only exception to the resting rule, according to The Spruce Eats, is for meat that's been braised or cooked at a really low temperature, including pork that's made in the slow cooker. Since the meat is already at a lower temperature, it's less imperative that you let it rest before digging in.

In the family of pork products, bacon is in a league of its own. It's an American staple of breakfasts, burgers, and beyond. But the truth is that you can get it wrong, though thankfully there are tons of tips and tricks out there for how to do bacon better. But perhaps the biggest, and most common mistake, people make with bacon is trying to fry it up in the wrong kind of pan. 

From the kitchen experts at Bon Appétit to the connoisseurs at Southern Living, and professional bacon lovers in between, there is agreement across the board that a cold cast-iron skillet is key to making perfect pan-fried bacon every time. Cast iron does a beautiful job of evenly conducting heat throughout its surface, ensuring that you won't have to deal with troublesome hot spots or low-temperature zones in the pan. And tossing the bacon on cold, then slowly heating it up along with the pan ensures that the bacon fat renders rather than burns, resulting in crispy yet tender bacon that won't curl up and crumble.